“Zootopia 2” hits a massive milestone, yet the MPA label leaves out animation’s biggest earner.
Walt Disney Animation Studios is promoting a new box office milestone for “Zootopia 2.” The studio says the sequel is now the highest-grossing animated Motion Picture Association film of all time worldwide, after surpassing Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” under that MPA-only label. Disney also says the film now ranks as the Number 9 biggest movie in worldwide box office history.
“This milestone belongs first and foremost to the fans around the world whose enthusiasm made it possible,” Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement. “We’re incredibly proud of our filmmakers Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Yvett Merino and the entire team at Walt Disney Animation Studios for creating a film that connects so deeply with audiences everywhere.”
Disney’s reported totals and milestones
Disney reports “Zootopia 2” has earned $1.703 billion globally to date. That figure includes $390 million in domestic sales and $1.313 billion in international sales.
Disney also calls the film the Number 1 global MPA release of 2025 and the Number 1 international MPA release of 2025. China has been a defining market. Disney reports $619 million in China so far and labels that figure the biggest global MPA run of all time in the territory.
Disney says “Zootopia 2” opened Nov. 26, 2025, with a record-setting $559.5 million global start across five days. The studio also says it was the fastest animated MPA film and the fastest PG-rated film to reach $1 billion.
Disney further claims it holds the top three animated MPA releases worldwide: “Zootopia 2” at Number 1, “Inside Out 2” at Number 2, and “Frozen 2” at Number 3. The studio also says the two “Zootopia” films have delivered a combined box office total exceeding $2.73 billion.
Why the “MPA” wording matters
The headline depends on one key constraint. Disney is not saying “Zootopia 2” is the highest-grossing animated film ever made. Instead, it is saying the film leads within an MPA-defined category, which narrows the comparison set.
That distinction has sparked debate among box office watchers because global animation does not begin and end with Hollywood studios. It also explains why another title keeps getting pulled into the same conversation.
What is “Ne Zha 2” about?
“Ne Zha 2” is a Chinese animated fantasy sequel released in 2025. It follows 2019’s “Ne Zha” and draws from Chinese mythology, centered on the mythic figure Nezha. The film continues the saga of a hotheaded, fate-defying hero whose powers and personality make him both feared and celebrated.
The numbers behind the “Ne Zha 2” phenomenon
“Ne Zha 2” was a monumental box office success in 2025, grossing approximately $2.2 billion worldwide. The vast majority of that total, about $2.1 billion, came from mainland China.
Those numbers made “Ne Zha 2” the highest-grossing animated film ever in many global tallies. It has also been widely discussed as the top-grossing non-English language film and one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
That is the key context missing from the MPA-only framing. Disney’s milestone may be accurate inside its lane, but “Ne Zha 2” sits above the lane when the comparison includes the full global market and not an MPA film.
Plot details and key characters
The sequel keeps its focus on Nezha and his complicated destiny. It also builds on his bond with Ao Bing, the dragon prince tied to the first film’s emotional core. In the “Ne Zha” universe, gods, demons, and clans collide, and the story often turns on whether its heroes can break out of roles assigned by heaven and history.
“Ne Zha 2” leans into large-scale battles and mythic spectacle, but its hook remains personal. Nezha is still a kid trying to control overwhelming power while proving he is more than the label stamped on him.
Production scale and animation footprint
The sequel’s production has been described as massive for modern animation. Reports around the film have cited thousands of artists and hundreds of domestic studios contributing, with a shot count and effects workload closer to a tentpole event picture than a typical animated release.
That scale, paired with repeat viewing in China, helped fuel the film’s historic run and its domination of the worldwide animation conversation.
What “Zootopia 2” is about
“Zootopia 2” brings back Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde for a new case. Ginnifer Goodwin voices Judy, and Jason Bateman voices Nick. The mystery kicks off when Gary De’Snake arrives in Zootopia and turns the city upside down. Ke Huy Quan voices Gary.
Jared Bush and Byron Howard directed, and Yvett Merino produced. Disney says the film continues its theatrical run worldwide.
What this moment says about global animation
Disney has a legitimate blockbuster on its hands. “Zootopia 2” has also achieved a milestone that matters in Hollywood terms.
At the same time, the industry is watching a global animation landscape that no longer fits into one scoreboard. Disney’s “MPA” headline is a clean win inside a specific category. “Ne Zha 2” is the reason many readers will still ask, “OK, but what about the overall record?”
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Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.
